Sustainable Transportation

Sustainable Transportation

In Texas, my commute is rather easy. To get to school every day, I follow two simple steps: I get in my car, drive four miles to the Cain Garage on campus, then I walk from there to the architecture building. The walk is the hardest part, it takes a lot longer than the drive does, and at the end of spring and beginning of fall, it's really hot and I always get to class sweating like a pig. I had always wanted another parking situation, but I was never able to get off of any waiting lists.

My first semester was different though, I utilized the bus system and the park and ride at the Post Oak Mall. I hated it. It took too long, the busses were unreliable, and I hated leaving my car out in the open in a mall parking lot. Also, the two busses I could have used to get on campus and then to my building were in separate pick-up locations, so I always just walked to Langford every day, rain or shine. 

In Germany

My bus route, highlighted in dark blue. 

Here in Germany, I have had to completely alter how I get to school dramatically. I have never in my life truly relied on public transportation until now. Thankfully, though, my commute is very easy to understand. I take one of two busses, the 610 bus or the 611 bus to the Bonn Hauptbahnhof, about a twenty minute ride. From there, I walk across the city center to New AIB. 

This is not the only way I could arrive, I could take a bike, but that would take a long time and I am not sure how to bike on certain streets without bike lanes, though my host mother Sabine says that she takes her bike to the city center often. 

She also drives to town on occasion, but she says it is too much of a hassle to park in the inner city. 

Sustainability

Obviously, the way I travel in Bonn is more sustainable, It uses less fossil fuel, and services more people. It lowers congestion, and makes people more used to being in a public space. There's a distinction between how Americans behave in a public place vs. how germans behave. In general, because Americans spend less time in a shared service like this, we will sometimes be a bit louder, and sometimes a little less aware of the others around us. 

Also, the personal cost of taking public transit is dramatically lower. I don't have to buy gas every two weeks, but instead have a month long bus pass that is definitely less expensive. Here, I could eliminate having a car altogether, saving myself a car note, and insurance too. 

It services a wide range of areas, covering subways, trams, and busses, giving you many modes to travel to many different areas of the city. The only drawback is that it takes more time, and your commute is at the mercy of other people, not your own. 

I enjoy how easy it is to navigate, even with the language barrier, though. I could definitely see myself utilizing a public transportation mode in my daily life in the future.